To celebrate “Connected Educator Month”, we will be sharing some classroom tips through a series of three posts from the author of Quick Tips: Making the First Six Weeks a Success, Kelly Bergman. In this second installment Kelly will be sharing her favorite tips on classroom organization!

And don’t for forget, Kelly will also be hosting a live Facebook chat!  Be sure to join the discussion on the Scholastic Teachers Facebook page on Sunday August 19^th 6:00 – 7:00pm EST. During this time, Kelly will answer any questions you may have about classroom management, communicating with parents, teacher organization, and more!

Here are Kelly’s tips on “classroom organization”

1.  Create a simple, yet effective filing system.  When creating a filing system, ask yourself: “Where will I look for this next year?”  In primary grades it may work well to have files for each month.  Next year when you remember doing something in September, you can go straight to your September file and find it.  In intermediate grades it may work better to file by content area or topic.  Color code your files to make them even more accessible.  Monthly files may be red, administrative files may be blue, etc.
2. Make copies of all the forms you’ll need.  Make plenty of copies of the forms you’ll need so you don’t get caught without them.  Forms might include library passes, clinic passes, and copy request forms.  I also encourage teachers to create a class with numerous columns and then make multiple copies.  File the copies in one of your files and you’ll be amazed at the number of times you pull one out.  You may need a copy to record field trip money or you may want to use them to record student behavior.
3. Use plastic dish pans to organize daily instructional materials.  As you have copies made or prepare other instructional materials, place them in the plastic bin for the appropriate day.  Having all of your instructional materials in one place allows for the day to flow very smoothly.  This system also comes in very handy when you have a substitute in your classroom.  That teacher can walk into your classroom and find all the necessary materials.
4. Use a clipboard to keep important information at your fingertips.  There are certain pieces of information that you will refer to frequently.  Keep these on a clipboard and keep it with you at all times.  This might include a class list, student health plans, and a summary of student learning plans (I suggest you create some sort of form to keep a list of student goals handy without having to refer back to the bulky written plans).
5. Create a magnetic seating chart.  Most schools end up with tiny little student photos after picture day.  Use one photo of each student, attach it to a piece of magnet (cut from a strip or sheet), and arrange them on an inexpensive cookie sheet that can be found at a dollar store.  This allows you to easily manipulative the magnets to play with different seating arrangements without moving any desks.  This tool also comes in very handy when you have a substitute teacher.

For more tips from Kelly, check out her book, Quick Tips: Making the First Six Weeks a Success

Be sure to join us tomorrow and Friday for the second and third installment of this series! And don’t forget to mark you calendars, Sunday August 19^th 6:00 EST- 7:00pm EST for Kelly’s live Facebook chat on the Scholastic Teachers page. 

image via LizMaria_AK